"Artificially created?"
Surprise, and a trace of doubt, rose on Ging's face.
He could tell the crescent-shaped patterns carved into the ground were pictograms but couldn't delve deeper into interpreting them.
Within the team, only Salin possessed that possibility.
"I'm not entirely certain, it's just..." Salin gently touched the edges and corners of the pictogram patterns, saying solemnly, "Because they are pictograms, some information is actually easier to interpret."
"However, based on these scripts alone, it's not enough. I need to check the rooftops of other buildings, or..."
At this point, Salin looked towards the metal door Buhara had discovered earlier, the one leading inside the building.
Everyone followed Salin's gaze to the door not far away.
"Going inside..."
Ging murmured thoughtfully, glancing at the remaining teammates… Sheila, Bruna, Buhara, Shiro, Salin.
Bruna went without saying… zero combat capability.
Salin's strength was decent, and serving as a main combatant wasn't a problem. Comparatively, Sheila and Shiro were both support roles… their direct combat abilities weren't strong.
In other words, apart from himself, Buhara was the only one whose direct combat ability met a qualified standard.
Although Ging was also curious about the building's interior, given the current situation, exploring inside wasn't a wise choice.
He looked at Salin, who seemed eager, and said, "The decision to enter the building can be discussed when Law and the others return. Before that, we can go check the rooftops of other places."
Shiro nodded in agreement, "Who knows what unknown dangers are lurking inside the buildings? With just the few of us, it's best not to act rashly."
Sheila looked apologetically at Salin and said softly, "I also think we should wait for Law and the others to return before deciding."
Buhara, aside from having strong opinions about food, basically just went with the flow on other matters.
As for Bruna, given the situation was already decided, she cast a friendly vote for Salin.
"Alright then, let's go check other building rooftops first."
With more than half the members opposed, Salin gently rubbed her forehead.
She wasn't an unreasonable person and understood most of the team's combat power had been taken by Law to search for the Herb for All-illnesses. Even if she really wanted to explore the building interior right now, she had to wait for Law and the others to return.
The buildings in the ancient labyrinth weren't far apart. Salin's group easily jumped onto the rooftop of another walled house.
Brushing away the accumulated dust on the rooftop floor, pictograms of the same style came into view. Judging by appearance alone, they were extremely similar to the pictograms on the previous rooftop.
"Same script?" Buhara asked, puzzled.
"They really don't seem different," Shiro examined the scripts on the ground closely.
Ging and Sheila felt the same way and couldn't help but look at Salin, who was deep in thought.
Noticing her teammates' inquiring gazes, Salin nodded and said, "They are the same."
"So what do these ancient scripts actually record?" Shiro asked curiously.
"The origin of the city and the Brions."
Salin glanced at Shiro and said, "According to the script, among the ancient humans who lived here long ago, there was one, I can't determine the specific name, who brought back a plant from outside. That plant was the Brion."
"That human who brought back the plant died not long after. The people in the tribe discovered the blood inside the corpse had turned into some unknown liquid metal. Upon contact with air, the liquid metal would solidify within a short time."
"Afterwards, based on the information left by the deceased person, the ancient humans confirmed this phenomenon was related to the plant that had been brought back."
"From that time on, the ancient humans began constructing the city. However, they didn't cultivate the Brion brought back by that deceased human. Instead, they utilized the Brion's infection and transformation characteristic, directly using living creatures for transformation to produce a sufficient amount of metal at the fastest rate."
"So, this city built by ancient humans was erected using... countless skeletal remains of living beings."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked astonished. They knew the Brion contained an unknown infectious and transformative poison and had seen roughly how large a Brion host parasitizing another creature could be.
So, how many lives were used for transformation to create such a massive city?
Ging pinched his chin, puzzled, "There are many inconsistencies. We've encountered Brions. There seem to be some differences from what the script records."
"Exactly. There are many incongruities in the interpreted content. If these weren't pictograms, I would actively doubt their reliability. But because they are pictograms, I'm willing to believe the information I've interpreted."
Salin nodded at Ging and said, "It's just... I always feel something is contradictory, but I can't pinpoint exactly where the contradiction lies. That's why I need more information. But it seems now..."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted, looking towards the rooftops of the surrounding buildings of varying heights, and she said solemnly, "Other rooftops might not have what I'm looking for."
Everyone looked at her figure, no one speaking.
Silence filled the area.
After a moment, Ging said calmly, "In any case, let's go check other places first."
...
Outside the Ancient Labyrinth City, at the International Permit Agencies' camp.
After obtaining the Herb for All-illnesses, Giles led the remaining team members out of the labyrinth to reunite with the outside forces.
The Herb had been uprooted and was transferred by accompanying researchers into specially made transparent glass chamber instruments, afraid the Herb might show even the slightest sign of withering.
The person in charge of support research was an energetic old man. Even his loose robes couldn't hide his well-trained physique.
He held the glass chamber as if it were an invaluable treasure, then glanced at the returning soldiers, his face showing unconcealed disappointment.
Seven hundred went in… less than three hundred returned.
In other words, having invested over half the troops, they had only brought back a handful of Herb for All-illnesses.
The losses versus the gains were hard to compare.
"Is this all we got?" The research old man asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yes."
Giles slightly lowered his head, his tone containing a sense of shame.
The research old man looked again at the glowing leaf veins within the glass chamber and said, "This isn't enough."
"I know. After the soldiers have rested, I will continue leading the team into the labyrinth city to search for more Herb for All-illnesses."
"Hmm, you've worked hard."
The research old man nodded, then, holding the glass chamber, headed towards a temporarily erected tent.
The results of the first search were too devastating… he didn't place all his hopes on the combat personnel.
'As long as we can successfully bring the Herb for All-illnesses back to the fictional continent, there's a possibility of cultivation,' The research old man thought.
Just as he was about to enter the tent, noticeable commotion came from behind the camp.
He couldn't help but stop and look in the direction the commotion came from.
Giles, who had been watching the research old man head towards the tent, immediately looked in the same direction.
Several soldiers with grave expressions ran over quickly and reported to Giles, "Captain, enemies have been spotted from the forest direction. Five magical beasts are heading towards us."
"Magical beasts?"
Giles raised an eyebrow slightly.
At the tent entrance, the research old man took the step he had paused, straightforwardly entering the tent.
The approaching enemies being magical beasts didn't surprise him in the slightest.
Because, the magical beasts on the Six Continents originally came from the Dark Continent. So, magical beasts being on the Dark Continent wasn't a big deal at all.